Enabling Your Coffee Addiction Is Actually Improving Your Health

That Starbucks run is doing wonders for your heart.

Coffee fiends, take heart: Having a few cups of joe a day can actually make you healthier. That's according to a new study published in the journal Heart, which found that daily coffees were linked to a lower risk of clogged arteries.

The AFP reports that South Korean researchers studied more than 25,000 men and women, with an average age of 41, who don't have a history of heart problems. Participants went through a health screening that measured levels of coronary artery calcium (CAC) in their hearts; high levels indicate a higher risk of clogged arteries, which can lead to heart attacks down the road. They also answered questions about what they ate and drank on a daily basis.

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Participants who drank between three and five cups of coffee a day had the lowest levels of CAC, and people who drank less than one or more than five a day had the highest levels. That was the same regardless of factors like age, gender, body fat, blood pressure, cholesterol, and alcohol or tobacco use. But the researchers warn that the effect might not be universal; their sample featured healthy, educated Koreans who might not represent the global population.

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This is just the latest in a string of studies touting the health benefits of coffee. Recent research has claimed coffee can protect you from melanoma, multiple sclerosis, and even endometrial cancer. And a panel of scientists recently told the U.S. government that coffee is good for you, though you have to drink it black to get any real health benefits.

So go ahead and indulge in a few coffees a day. As long as you don't load up on fattening Frappuccinos and lattes all the time, you'll do yourself a favor.